Beacon Power, the Boston-area company that operates a flywheel plant in Stephentown that acts like a large battery for the electrical grid, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware over the weekend.

Company officials could not immediately be reached for comment on how the filing would impact the Stephentown facility. Two limited liability companies that appear to be holding companies for the Stephentown operation filed for bankruptcy protection as well.

New York state pledged $2 million to Beacon, although its unclear this afternoon if that money was ever paid to the company.

Larry Rulison

One Response

Without getting into the debate about government grants and subsidies I feel this is an unfortunate bankruptcy.

One of the keys to a successful alternative energy program that includes solar and wind farms is the ability to store electricity (energy) for future on-demand use and to smooth demand spikes. The flywheel program developed by Beacon Power was moving from the lab to a practical use enviornment with facilities like the one in Stephentown. Hopefully the problem is a cashflow problem and they will be able to obtain some private venture capital to move forward. Time will tell.